Must read books for Men!

This is going to be a compilation of books that I find are a must read for every man out there.

This list mostly contains old books from the likes of Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Machiavelli and so forth since I believe everything we need to know has already been said by someone in the past.

I will update the list whenever I find a book that I read and meets the criteria.

I hope you find something that you didn’t read already and as always thanks for reading and enjoy.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

thus spoke zarathustra NietzscheNietzsche, one of my all-time favorites and I could and should list all of his works here. However, Zarathustra was the first book I read and it deeply resonated with me.

The pursuit of becoming the Übermensch something better than we are now, just resonates with me. Then we have God is dead and much more. There are so many gems in this book that it would be hard for me to mention them all.

In Zarathustra, Nietzsche talks about human nature in a wonderful way.

He or rather Zarathustra argues that humans must evolve by looking inward and severing the primal urges that keep us down. Which I believe as well.

To sum this up it is a Masterpiece and you have to read not only Thus Spoke Zarathustra but also his other works.

Meditations

Written between 161 and 180 AD as a series of personal writings it became THE guide on self-improvement.

Meditations is not like other self-help books with easy answers and solutions. The very theme of it is imperfection. We can never know exactly why things happen, why people act the way they do, and it’s not up to us to judge anyway; there is a larger meaning of events and lives which escapes us.

Aurelius work is filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior.

The Art Of War

This short masterpiece of a handbook is probably the only warfare manual you will ever need to read. The Art Of War contains compact views on basically everything starting from resourcefulness, to flexibility, to secrecy, practicality, positioning, manipulation and much more.

All the information covered in this book, will help you to dissect the reality of war into small pieces of wisdom that you can apply in the way you use influence and power.

Think And Grow Rich

If there was one book that taught me that wealth was a mindset it was Think & Grow Rich. This book is a compilation of thoughts by some of the most powerful people back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Napoleon Hill dedicated about 20 years of his life to figure this out by studying and interviewing 500 of the most successful people at the time. People like Edison, Ford and Andrew Carnegie.

That way he created a book that went on to sell over 20 million copies. A book that greatly influenced the whole field of personal development as we know it today. It’s basically the father of all self-improvement nowadays.

Think and Grow Rich condenses the 13 principles into something that he calls “Philosophy of Achievement”

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Every man should read this book especially if you are a nice guy. This book showed me some of the nice guys tendencies I didn’t even know I had and it changed my life for the better, that’s for sure.

While Glover explains what nice guys are and what traits they possess, he also points out that you are the only person on this planet responsible for your needs, wants, and happiness.

The real value and purpose of this book lies not in describing the Nice guy syndrome, but rather in providing a roadmap on how to break free of those negative thought patterns, how to to boost your confidence, and how to reclaim your life.

The Manipulated Man

Ah yes, The Manipulated Man by Esther Vilar. This one really hit home and explained a shit ton.

Ironically tho this book was written by a feminist.

It gives you great insight into the ways women manipulate men. The main idea behind the book is that women are not oppressed by men but rather control men to their advantage.

It’s one of those books that changes your world view, and makes you question what value women offer besides their vaginas. The book asserts that women have a level of control over men that most are not aware of. Some of those tactis are controlling men via sex, giving meaningless praise to control men, using emotional blackmail, and encouraging the misconception of love and romance.

If you are already aware of those things then it might not tell you anything new, despite that I’d still encourage you to read it.

Hagakure

I love this book as it gives great insight into the life of a Samurai. The way of the warrior also called Bushido. It is stacked with wisdom like that for example:

“According to a certain person, a number of years ago, the late Matsuguma Kyoan told this story:

In the practice of medicine there is a differentiation of treatment according to the Yin and Yang of men and women. There is also a difference in pulse. In the last fifty years, however, men’s pulse has become the same as women’s. Noticing this, in the treatment of eye disease I applied women’s treatment to men and found it suitable. When I observed the application of men’s treatment to men, there was no result. Thus I knew men’s spirit had weakened and that they had become the same as women, and the end of the world had come. Since I witnessed this with certainty, I kept it a secret.

When looking at the men of today with this in mind, those who could be thought to have a woman’s pulse are many indeed, and those who seem like men are few. Because of this, if one were to make a little effort, he would be able to take the upper hand quite easily. That there are few men who are able to cut well in beheadings is further proof that men’s courage has waned. And when one comes to speak of kaishaku, it has become an age of men who are prudent and clever at making excuses. Forty or fifty years ago, when such things as matanuki were considered manly, a man wouldn’t show an unscarred thigh to his fellows, so he would pierce to himself.

All of mans work is a bloody business. That fact, today, is considered foolish, affairs are finished cleverly with words alone, and jobs that require effort are avoided. I would like young men to have some understanding of this.”

Definitely a must read.

The Craft Of Power

This book is fairly unknown and I’m glad that I stumbled upon it and am now able to share this gem with you. If you like the 48 laws then you’ll certainly like this one as well. The author is a professor who dedicated his life to researching the acquisition and utilisation of power.

The Book Of Five Rings

A book that appeared to be about sword fighting techniques when I first started reading it, but once you take a closer look, it offers valuable insights into life & philosophy.

As with many works of the East, this isn’t simply a book you read.

The knowledge in this book is best absorbed by taking the time to read, study, and re-read since as I said at first it might appear to be only about sword fighting techniques so taking a closer look to fully grasp it would be smart.